Apparatus for use in inflating pneumatic articles



J. A. DORAN Dec. 29, 1931.

APPARATUS FOR USE IN INFLATING PNEUMATIC ARTICLES Filed April 1926 TO SOURCE OF COMPRESSED AIR a m 2 1m 82 L d 2 m 1 3 8 5 3 r 9 2 W 1 2 8 flm U W q 6 JAMES ADORAN INVENTOR WM/01W- BY ATTORNEY Patented 'Dec. 29, 1931 UNITED- STATES PA N OFFICE i JAMnsI A. DORAN, or rnovlnnncn, nnonn ISLAND APPARATUS non Usnnv inrnaame PNEUMATIC An'rIoLns Application filed Y April 1e,

My invention relates to an apparatus for use in inflating pneumatic articles havmg an inflating valve, especially pneumatic tires.

While I am awarev that others have at tempted to providedevices of this descrip tion which will permit one to pump at a substantially high pressure and at the same. time accurately continuously, measure the lower tire pressure, so far as I am aware I am the first to provide'an entirely satisfactory dc vice for this purpose. In principle, my device COHlPllSQS a chamber, whether 1t be made as an integral part :of'a tire chuck' ornot, provided with a detachable connection to a tirevalve and having an air intake opening connectible to a source of compressed air under 'a pressure equal or greater than the jdesired tire pressure and of substant1al smaller net cross/sectional areajthan the net cross sectional area of the tire valve to cause the pressure in the chamber to coincidentally continuously substantially equal the tire pres sure, so that the chamber maybe connected to a high 'pressuresupply line and also to a tire and the'gauge may continuously coincidentally substantially accurately register the tire pressure cluringthe increase thereof; In

addition I provide a safety valve connected to said chamber preferably adjustable to release at predetermined settings thereof which may be used either conjointly with or alter nately insteadof the pressure gauge to render the device-absolutely safe.- I also provide I believe for the first'time a sound device operahleupon releaseof the safetyvalve. ltis thus obvious thatl have provided'a completely safe device, for the operator gets careless and does not notice the pressure gauge,

the pressure'in the tire ca nnot rise beyond the predetermme'd amount, for not only wllli it be releasedthrough the safety valve but it will also sound a warning to the careless operator.

Further objectsof my invention are topro;

vide adevice of this description of simple and rugged construction that V will absolutely prevent the injuries and; blow-outs caused s a result of the former -pump and .try method? and provide athoroughly safe and; accurate method of inflatingftires so safe and-easy 1926. Serial Nb. 102,591.

the tires, and that as it is so accurate it apopreciably reduces the large former expense of producing compressed air, a great portion of which was formerly Wasted. a

1 A further objectiof my invention is to apprec1ably lessen the time necessary to infi ate pneumatic tires practice-it has been actuallyfound that the average time required to inflate automobiletireshas been reduced from approximately 12" to approximately 3 minutespthereby permitting many more automobiles' to be served thanformerly' in congested areas a i I "F'urt her objects of my invention are ,to provide a device which will permitIthe use of alargerugged gauge of long life and accuracy located in a permanently protected position which eliminates handling thereof and 'pr'events abuse thereof, and to eliminate the use of former easilylost hand gauges 1 incidental to the Fpump and try method the cost of replacing whichhasbeen a very large item ingarage and service station up keep.

further object of my invention is toprovide an improved chuck for use in inflating automobile tires particularly adapted to be used with the otherfeatures of my invention.

These and such other objects of .myinveng tion as may hereinafter appear will be best 'understood from" a description of various embodimentsthereofsuch" as are'shown in theaccompanying drawings. y

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is across sectional VlGW of the preferred embodiment of my iny'ention employing my I preferred chuck hav mg: my improvedair chamber and restricted orifice located thereinmovably attached to.

apre'ssure gauge, safety valve and soundde vice permanently, mountedtogetherin a control box' therefor. V I o r Fig; 2 is a perspective view of the valve head and attached stem in'my chuck. I v '7 preferably employ 6 Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my device shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, wherein like characters of reference indicate like parts throughout, 10 generally indicates the enclosed chamber the construction of which comprises one of the main features of my invention. this chamber 10 may be connected at any suitable point in the line connecting the tire with the source of compressed air, I preferably, as shown in the embodiments shown in Figs. 1 to 3, construct said chamber 10 within the tire chuck 12. Said chamber 10 is provided with a detachable connection to a tire valve 5 which may comprise the detachable chuck connection 14 shown in Fig. 1. The chamber 10 is also provided with an air intake orifice 2O suitably connected to a source of compressed air (not shown) preferably a pump under a substantially greater pressure than the desired tire pressure, said orifice 20 being of substantially smaller net cross sectional area than the neXt cross sectional area of the tire valve 15 to cause the pressure in the chamberlO to coincidently continuously substantially equal the tire pressure. I also preferably provide the pressure gauge 30 suitably connected to said chamber 10 which, as will be apparent, is also indicative of the tire pressure. I also provide the safety valve 40 preferably adjustable to release at predetermined settings also connected to said cham ber 10 adapted to be used alternately with or in conjunction with the pressure gauge 30 as desired. I also preferably provide the sound device 50 operative in release of said safety valve 40 and means 60 to open the air supply to said chamber 10 when said chamber is connected to a tire valve. It is .1 thus obvious that when the chamber 10 is connected to a tire valve and the air supply to said chamber opened, that air will flow from the source of compressed air into said chamber 10, that the pressure gauge 30 if employed will actually register the pressure in the chamber 10 which is also substantially equal to the tire pressure and that the safety valve 40' which may be set in a manner to be explained to release at desired predetermined settings will release at the desired predetermined setting thereof to prevent an excess of air from going into the tire, coincidentally with its release sounding the sound device 50 to warn the operator that the tire is correctly inflated.

Having generally described the main features and: operation of my invention Iwill now'describe in detail the detailed features of my preferred embodiments thereof. When the chamber 10 is located in the chuck 12 as shown in Fig. 1, I preferably construct my chuck as follows: The chamber 10therein is preferably. constructedin two parts 16 and 18, the valve head recess 16 and the outer chamber 18 preferably separated from each Though other by the partition wall 22 which in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1-3 comprises the seat 22 adapted to be threaded into said chamber 10 from the lower end of said chuck. Said seat 22 is provided with the central connecting orifice 24 connecting said recess 16 and chamber 18 of smaller diameter than the valve head 38 and the resilient non-flexible gasket 26 similarly centrally perforated as at 28 is preferably placed on top of said seat 22. The chamber 18 is preferably provided with the resilient non-flexible gasket 14 suitably mounted at the base thereof and in my preferred embodiment non-flexibly secured withinbetween theretaining screw 19 and washer 17, said washer, screw and. gasket being provided with the central orifices 29 so that said outer chamber 18 may be connected to a tire valve. The recess 16 is also provided with the rescricted air inlet orifice 20 adapted to be connected to a source of compressed air. In my preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 1 I have provided a constricted orifice by providing a threaded screw 21, having a cen tral orifice 20 therein, adapted to be threaded into the upper part of the chuck 12. I preferably provide a plurality of screws 21 having the. orifices 20 of different diameters therein so that the size of the orifice 20 may be readily selected merely by unscrewing a screw 21 and inserting another one. Screw 21 is thus also removable to easily permit cleaning any foreign matter that may accumulate and obstruct hole 20. The upper portion of the chuck is provided with a nipple 23 adapted to receive the hose 25 thereon which is suitably connected to the source of compressed air the line 27 leading from said orifice 20 to the end of said nipple 23; I also provide the nipple 8 projecting from the lower portion of said chuck and provided with the line 9 emerging from said lower chamber 18. The hose 81 is adapted to detachably connect said chuck nipple 8 with a control box 32 later to be described, which control box preferably contains the pressure gauge 30, the safety valve 40 and the sound device 50. i

As hitherto explained, the inlet orifice 20 to said recess 16 is of a substantially smaller cross sectional area than the net cross sectional area of the tire valve 15 which includes the usual tire valve and stem 34 shown in detail in Fig. 1. In my preferred embodiment. I preferably provide the valve 60 to close the connecting orifice 28 between said recess 16 through said chamber 18 and through the orifice 29 in said tire valve connecting gasket 14 to contact the stem 34 ofthe tire valve 15 to raise said valve head 38 away from said gasket 26 when saidtire valve stem 34 is inserted within the gasket 14 and tocontact the pressure gauge equipped with a dial 43 on the facethereof and provided with the usual pointer 44 which is actuated by the air pres sure in the chamber 10in a well known manner to indicate the chamber pressure and also the tire pressure on said gauge As stated, I preferably provide the line 52 connected to said chamber 10 and I provide 4 the indicating member 54 threadedly engaged with said device as at 56tl'1readedly engaged with the control box 32. Said memher 54 is provided with the pointer member 58 and knob 59 adjustably secured thereto adapted to revolve over the exterior of said device whether it be the control box and to register against calibrated pressure indicia 57 on the face. of said device. 52 is preferably provided with the'valve dlsk 51 in the preferred embodiment shown comprising the flexible disk 51 and-attached meits tallic pressure plate 53 adapted to seat against the shoulder formed in said line 52. I provide the spring 62 adapted to abut the valve disk 51 and said threaded member 54. In my preferred embodiment, the spring 62 preferably registers against the flanges 64 provided on the studs 66; being preferably provided with central projections 68 adapted to seat in cooperating central depressions 69in said threaded member 54 and valve disk 51'respectively to continuously center said spring 62. I preferably 001]", struct the pitch of the threadedconnection 56 between said threaded member 54 andsaid devicein such a manner that 'a substantially complete turn of the threaded member '54will vary the compression of the spring 62.

obvious that when after calibration, the pointer 58 of the threaded member 54 1888i? against the predetermlned indicia 57 on said device at the desiredpressure for which'it is desired to have the safety valve release, that when the pressure in said line52 has reached said selected pressure that the air will .push

said disk 51 away from said'seat 55 to perinit an egress of air. around said disk 51 andits The line 7 an inflating valve.

a-tor. Control box. 32- is provided with: vent 61 to permit free exhaust of. air discharging fro1n'port72. .7 J i 1 I As stated, Ialso employ a sound device 50 preferably actuated by the rush ofescaping excess; air through said line;,52 on releaseof' said safety valve 40 asjust explained. .In

the preferred embodiment shown in Fig.

1to. provide avery accurate sound device which will always function, I preferably providethe electric sound-device about torbe explained. I provide the metallic plug 74 corn prising the head 76 and constricted stem 78 provided with the 1111116379 having the valve head .76 suitably seated on a shoulder 80 in said line 52, the portionof said line 52 containing said'plug-7 4 preferably extending in a vertical direction. It is thus obvious that normally 'thevalve head 76 will close this portion'of. the 11118.52, The plug 76 is connectedbymeans ofthe wire 82 to the suitable source of electricity 84, an electric battery 84 as shown,-the metallic plug 7 6 thus forming a contact point of anelectric circuit. circuit is also connected ,to theqelectric. bell 86. The opposite terminal 88 0f said elec-f tric circuitis suitably connected to'a fixed contact point 90 mounted in said line 52 above said plug head 76. It is thus obvious that as the safetyvalve 40 is released that the plug 78 will be forced upwardly by the egress of compressed air to cause the head 76 thereof to contact the suitably insulated fixed contact point 90 above it to complete an electric air cuitthrough the terminals 82 and 88 to ring the electric bell86. When the plug 76 rises, its flutes .7 9 open to. the atmosphere, allowing unrestricted egress for the escaping, air.

It is'obvious that in the broader aspects ofiny invention, it is immaterial what species the certain main features thereoftake and whether they are all or partially combined The directly in a tire chuck or parts of them are mounted 'in a control box or otherwise. As

tor cannot possibly inflate a tire beyond the desired predetermined set pressure;

Though I have shown and described in invention for use in inflating a pneumatic tire, it is obvious that it may be. employed to inflate any pneumatic article provided with Though I have described the features of my chuck asbeing in a vertical line and relatively below and above each other, it is obvious that they may be located in any relative position without departing from the spirit of my invention.

It is understood that my invention is not limited to the specific embodiments shown and that various deviations may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claim.

What I claim as new and desire to secure g, by Letters Patent is:

A chuck for use in inflating tires comprising a body portion, bored and counter bored to form several chambers of varying diameter, the first and smaller of said chambers having an inlet connectible to a source of high air pressure and being threaded to removably receive a flow restrictor having an orifice of the proper size to reduce the high i a air pressure to the tire pressure in said chuck below said restrictor, a second chamber of larger diameter below said chamber forming a valve chamber, a third chamber interiorly threaded and of still larger diameter below said second chamber, a gasket seated at the shoulder between said second and third chambers, an exteriorly threaded ring detachably securable within said third chamber forming with said gasket a partition line between said second and third chambers, said third chamber having a low pressure outlet connectible to a pressure responsive device; a flexible air tight connection for a tire stem detachably securable within said chuck below said third low pressure chamber, and a valve movable within said valve chamber having a stem projecting downwardly through said low pressure chamber and through said connection adapted on contact with the tire valve to unseat said valve to permit passage of air into the third low pressure chamber and to the tire.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

JAMES A. DORAN. 

